Leap of Faith
by ILOVETOLKIEN
Summary: Ashley O'Sullivan, Olympic athlete runner is inconveniently placed in Middle-earth months before her race. She knows nothing about Middle-Earth, she dislikes Boromir, and a great mishap has yet to pounce. Her time in Middle-earth ends up teaching her valuable lessons and changes her into a far different person than she was before she stumbled in. BoromirOC
1. Chapter 1 - This Is Me

Chapter 1 - This Is Me

I let out a series of quick, even breaths as I sprinted toward the finish line, my legs carrying me as fast as a puma. I let my body make the final push to the finish line. My muscles felt the usual burn, and my lungs longed for air. Soon enough, I whizzed by the finish line.

Gasping for air, I yelled, "Time!"

"9 minutes, 31.53 seconds!" My coach, Marc Bradley, yelled out my score.

"Decent. Still need to do a bit better to get gold though," I panted. I slowly walked off the effects of my hardcore run, while raising my arms up behind my head to open up the airway in my lungs.

"There's only a few months left until the race. Keep this up, you may just get gold. Aim for gold. Aim high, so you'll at least get a seat among the stars," Marc told me in his coach-like manner.

"I know," I said. I knew this well enough.

"I'm gonna get gold, whatever it takes, you know that," I reassured my coach.

He nodded with a small, fond, teacher-like smile and said, "Keep in shape though. Don't let yourself slack off now..."

"I've come this far-"

"You can't fail now-"

"This is crunch time. Yes, sir, I get it. I can do it," I said with a chuckle, finishing my coach's sentence. If there was one word I would use to describe myself, it would be determined.

I took out my water bottle and took a swig of Powerade. Pointing the bottle upwards towards Marcus, I said, "If anyone has this in the bag, it's me," I said, part jokingly, part seriously.

After a moment of silence, I said, "Wow, it really is just in a few months."

"I remember when you were starting out, and you thought you had forever until the race."

"Wow, seriously. It's in...what is it...8 months. This is going to be the biggest thing that I've ever accomplished once I get my gold medal... Man, this is the Olympics!" I finished.

Her coach said, "It's a good feeling, hey? I gotta run, though. I'll see you at training Friday." Then he got in his car and left.

With thoughts of the Olympics and my to-be world famous 200 meter run on my mind, I drove home.

So, let me introduce myself. I'm your average- no. Scratch that, I'm not your average teenage college student. See, I'm an 18 year old Olympic trainer. My name is Ashley O'Sullivan, and ever since the fourth grade, I have had dreams about winning a gold medal in the summer 2024 Dublin Olympics. With the support of my strict but supportive, somewhat harsh but loving parents, my long, hard years of training, and my, if I say so myself, fierce determination, I viewed myself as someone with great potential, a champion. I think I was designed for something big. At this point, my life was amazing. Plus, I'm Irish, and I just think that being Irish is amazing. Okay, enough about me for now.

When I went to my home, first thing I did was make a call to one of my best friends, who was currently a first year at York University in Ontario.

Beep! Beep! Beep! The phone rang three times before he picked up.

"Ash-dawg! How are you?"

"Brett! How's it going?"

"Well, I feel like I'm gonna explode from all that schoolwork, but ya know, no reward without effort."

"Well, you will make an amazing lawyer. Don't even worry. How's Haley?"

To be honest, I didn't give a damn about Haley. But I had to ask, because Brett was my best friend and I wanted him to be happy. Well, he was actually my secret crush. Yep. Honestly, I just wanted to know if they were going to break up anytime soon... Anyway.

"She's great! No time to hang out with her enough though. College sucks big time."

"Awww muffin! No time for you to hang out with your one true love. That is so sad, schoolwork keeps separating you from your one true love," I said teasingly.

"Until our hearts feel so much pain we can't bear it anymore..."

"And still, schoolwork looms over your heads..."

"But our love is so strong, it won't keep us apart," Brett finished.

Yeah. This is when I feel kid of forever alone. I mean, I can get a guy, just not the one I've been wanting for 4 years.

"Hey, why you such a stud anyway?" I asked him. "Getting girls everywhere since you were 14. Like, maan."

"Hey, I don't know. I don't try to be a stud." The sound of potato chips crunching could be heard. I smiled at the sight, that I could imagine so easily in my head.

"Yeah, well, Haley probably loves the fact that you're such a stud." That came out with a hint of bitterness, which I couldn't hide in time. But Brett didn't notice. Too caught up in his thoughts of Haley, probably.

"You know, I think Haley is...different. Unlike all those other girls I've dated."

"Yeah, all those other girls. How many is that? Three in Grade 9, one in grade 10, three more in Grade 11-"

"Kay, kay, I get it," he chuckled. "But really, I think she's something else."

"I do hope you and her work out. You know, mutual happiness. I'm happy for you. And please don't get hurt." The first part I said only halfheartedly, and the second part I said completely wholeheartedly.

"Well, I think I'm fine. I think she might be the one."

"Kay, what does that even mean? 'The one', what does that mean?"

"I don't know, just that, you just know. I don't know how to explain it, I just know that I'm completely, head over heels for Haley."

Every word felt like a knife. "Like I said, just don't get hurt, okay?" I said.

"I won't, I promise," he promised. That's what they all say.

"Oh, I just finished my philosophy report, and I was looking through my stuff and I found my Lord of the Rings Blu-Rays. I was thinking, when the hell are we watching that? We've been meaning to for months!" Brett practically yelled over the phone.

Oh, Brett had always been a huge fan of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. He had wanted badly to introduce it to me forever ago. So we had watched the first one together, but we never found time for the rest of them. So basically, I was not very enlightened in the world of Lord of the Rings. Unfortunately. I think.

"I don't know. Really, I live kinda far away... But when the next reading break comes along, let me know and this movie marathon will happen. Sound good?" I asked. I liked the first one quite a lot, but I still didn't know that much about Lord of the Rings.

"Good, good. That's what I like to hear, Ashley! We will go all out Lord of the Rings. I will even wear a Boromir costume!" Brett exclaimed. He was always a little eccentric. It made me wonder how he had been so popular in high school.

"I hate Boromir...You know I do. He's like, my least favourite character! Dress up as someone else, jeez!" I yelled jokingly.

Brett laughed over the phone. "Alright, alright," he said, chuckling.

"Hey, you still planning on coming to my race? It's in a few months, but it's something you might wanna start planning for."

"Do you think I'd miss a chance to watch the Olympics? I don't even care if you're in it! You sometimes ask the most obvious questions," Brett said.

"Ha-ha, you're funny-"

"I wasn't kidding."

"Yeah, you're funny. Hey, you should go get some sleep. I'll talk to you sometime soon. Maybe tomorrow. See ya, love you, bud."

"Bye!" Brett's enthusiastic voice sang. "Oh, by the way, check your mail! You lazy... Kay, bye!"

Yeah. This was the guy I was madly in love with. Even to-be Olympic athletes had huge crushes and were madly in love. Or maybe that was just me. If that were the case, Marc Bradley would have a thing to say to me about following my goals and all that.

So basically, my life's to-do list was something like this, in order of importance: 1) Win gold in the 200m race at the 2024 Dublin Olympics, 2) Get Brett to see that I could be perfect for him (I could sing Taylor Swift lyrics right now, but I think you get the idea), and 3) Get a nice house, get rich. Yeah. No pressure.

I got up and decided to check my mail like my Brett had suggested. What did he need me to check my mail for anyway?

I walked outside of my apartment room, and made my way down to the bottom floor where the mail was kept. I never checked my mail unless I was expecting something. I found my box and tried to open it. Then, I realized that I had forgotten to bring down my key with me. Dammit! This was such a me thing to do. I was kind of absentminded at times.

After my initial cursing and being angry at myself stage wore off, and I brought my keys down, I opened up my box. I looked at all my mail; one letter was from my parents, some were junk mail, and one was from Brett. It was shaped like a rectangle. Ever since we were in high school, he would send me little things like chocolate (back when I was lucky and could have chocolate [sports diet]) or gift cards to random handy places like sports shops. But this package didn't feel like chocolate. Ooh, what could this be?

I went back up to my room, closed the door, locked it, etc. and got comfortable. I threw out the junk mail, then I read all the family stuff first. It was the usual. I'd reply later. Kind of excited, I opened up the package from Brett. As I opened it up, I saw little bits of the little gift. Then just as I figured out what it was, something little fell down onto my lap. A leaf brooch. Hey, the leaf brooches from Lord of the Rings! Neat. I smiled and admired its beauty. Brett must've ordered it on some LotR fan site.

I looked at the other gift. It was a book. The Fellowship of the Ring. This was so Brett, it made me smile.

That also made me think, I should really read it, get to know the story a bit better, instead of just having watched it.

I read the back cover. Hmmm. It looked like it was worth a read. I'd start reading it tomorrow.

I unfolded the wrapping paper and unwrinkled it. It was really nice wrapping paper, and I hated wasting nice wrapping paper by throwing it out right after unwrapping a gift. But out of it fell a slip of paper.

I could see Brett's thin handwriting on the paper after I unfolded it. It was addressed to me, and it read:

"Hey, Ashley. So, I hope you don't take this offensively, which I don't think you will, but, hey, you never know, you might. So anyway, what happened was this sketchy old man came up to me, gave me the leaf brooch, and said, "Oh, this is from my travels... May it serve you well," or something close to that. So I said, "It's a leaf brooch from Lord of the Rings! Is it from a fansite?" Then he said, "Oh, it's the real deal... I have no need of it, but it is blessed... Or cursed." Then this sketchy guy, what does he do? He gives the lead to me and walks away quickly. So I thought, hey, a pretty leaf brooch from LotR from a sketchy old man? I'll give it to Ashley! So, I'm giving it to you as a gift. It could be a good luck charm for your race! Bye, talk to you later!

-Brett"

Huh. He gave me something that a creepy old man gave him. Cool. Pretty thing, though. It could be my good luck charm.

Little did I know that sketchy old men had some truth to their words...

Review please!


	2. Chapter 2 - Where The Wild Things Are

Chapter 2 - Where The Wild Things Are

A/N: Thank you to those who have reviewed! If you are reading this, I have minimal direction for this story, in terms of pairings, and plot, kind of, so do help me out. Reader input makes my day. Review/message me if you want.

If you're planning on writing about an Olympic athlete, seriously go for it! It's quite fun, actually. And yes, the OC not really knowing much about LotR is sorta refreshing.

I don't own Lord of the Rings.

I ran and ran. Sprinted. No surprise there, running is basically my life now, so, yeah.

Sweat trickled down my brow, and I felt the heat course through my body, particularly on my face and upper body.

The race was only in...what was it...7 months now. Wow. Now I'd been on a super tough training schedule: every day I'd run and do cardio exercises. It was intense, to tell you the truth. But hey, I had to win this, it was my life.

As I ran, I thought about something. The leaf brooch that I had gotten. I hadn't really given it much inspection yet. I mean, after the initial admiring, I hadn't done much with it. I just felt the urge to see it again.

When I finished running, and was at my house, I took out the brooch and tapped it. The material was hard and strong. Huh. Perfect good luck charm.

I then proceeded to set up my workout. I went to office room and hung upside down from my sit-up bar (part of my training), the leaf brooch still in my hands.

"One, two, three..." I started my workout. I was in my zone now. My zone meant no distractions, no disturbances, and just me and my sporty concentration. Well, at least that's what I thought it was. The phone rang suddenly, and, being an extremely jumpy person, I freaked out and fell from my bar.

"Aaah!" I shouted out as my head hit the floor. The last thing I felt was the leaf brooch slipping out of my hand. That, and my head hitting the floor.

Rustle, rustle.

Some distant rustling could be heard, which is what woke me up. That, and the leaf brooch landing on my face. My nose, to be more exact.

My head felt sore and my neck was at an odd angle. It hurt. Not wanting to move, but having to, I hesitantly got up. Instantly, I felt a lightheadedness. "Ugh..."

Rustle, rustle.

Wait. I'm in my room. Why am I hearing rustlings?

But apparently I was not in in my room. Unless my room suddenly grew trees and grass.

Rustle. Rustle, rustle, rustle. Rustle, rustle.

Suddenly, I felt kind of scared. Where was I?

I was in my room two seconds ago...

Or maybe I still was... Hey, maybe I was in "Where the Wild Things Are"... I highly doubted it, though.

Rustle, rustle.

Maybe the rustlings were from some hippies in the woods. If hippies even go to the woods at a time like this. It was morning, and from what I'd heard, they usually did their pot during the evening. Anyway.

Rustle, rustle.

This was getting annoying.

Rustle.

Really annoying.

Rustle.

Like, actually.

Rustle. Rustle, rustle.

JUST STOP!

All feelings of fright left me. Well, almost all. I still had some of that initial fright left, but it wasn't enough to stop me from what I did. I scooped up the leaf brooch, put it in my pocket, and strode over to the direction of the rustling.

"Okay, just come out! STOP RUSTLING, YOU HIPPIES! SAY HI IF YOU WANT ME TI KNOW YOU'RE THERE SO BADLY, K?!" I stepped towards the tall yellow grass that covered the hippies, and separated it to see what was there.

Bad idea.

Out stepped, not hippies, but some rather gruesome creatures. One had a nose ring. It took me a second to recognize them. I knew I'd seen them somewhere... I couldn't quite put my finger on it, though. One thing I knew for sure wad that they weren't good. Not safe.

The creatures (there were two of them) stepped towards me with sharp, boring looking weapons. Well.

Then I did the bravest thing I thought possible in the given situation.

"AAAAAAHHHHHHH," I took off running and screaming.

I didn't look back. Those things were bad, and I knew if I didn't run, I'd probably die. I didn't know if they were giving chase or not, but I didn't have the time or the intention to look back.

"AAAAHHHHHHH!" I was just in such a state of shock and fear, I found myself yelling and screaming, feeling some need to make noise to...get help, I guess?

I ran and ran as fast as my legs could carry me. Which was quite fast, if I may say so.

It was a while until I finally spared a glance backwards. No one was following me now. Well, I guess no one would want to chase a to-be Olympic athlete, now would they? I am pretty fast... Before I get too cocky, I should remember what those things were. I knew what they were! But I didn't really know where I'd seen them! What were they?

Rustle.

I gasped and sweat flooded my face instantly. My heart beat 27403482923x a second. I let out a small whimper.

A small bird flew out of the bush near me.

Oh. Phew.

"Jeez, Ashley, it's just a bird. Seriously, you're such a scardey-cat," I scolded myself. But hey, in my defense, I had just had to outrun a...a...um...whatever that was. Wait, who was I even defending myself from? Huh. I'm weird.

I kept walking cautiously, until I heard something. Hoofbeats?

They kept coming closer and closer. Oh, jeez, those things on horses? That, I just didn't think I could deal with.

I looked around wildly for an escape. Trees! There were some trees here. My eyes found the tallest tree in sight. I sprinted for my life to that tree. So then, I tried my best to shimmy up the tree.

I failed.

I'm not much of a climber.

After many failed attempts, my heartbeat was getting increasingly faster. I'm a naturally very jumpy person. I'm not a coward, no, not that, for sure, but I just...panicked a lot at even the littlest things.

I swear, if I die in Where The Wild Things Are Land...

The hoofbeats just got closer.

I'm too young to die!

It sounded like there were at least a couple dozen people in the group. Oh my... I'm sure to die here. Even I can't outrun a horse, motto mention dozens of horses, forever.

The hoofbeats got closer and closer. I closed my eyes and kept them shut tight, after hiding behind a tree. Not gonna lie, I was bloody scared!

Closer now.

Oh my god.

Closer. Even closer. They were coming.

No, no.

Then, they were upon me. They'd see me, surely!

But they just raced right past me.

Oh. I opened my eyes, and saw that the riders were people, not those creatures.

I don't know why I did this, but I yelled, "Come back!"

Don't judge, I was scared. I wanted to be around people.

Hey, what if they were thugs?

Oh. Crap.

The riders circled back, upon seeing me. Pretty soon, they were circling around me. All of them had blonde colored wigs. No, they were helmets. Fake blonde hair on their helmets. Ah, I see. Anyway, they looked pretty hardcore.

One guy, the leader, I guessed, spoke to me. "What would a woman be doing here in the lands of Rohan? I do not remember the king granting you leave. I do not remember your face at all..."

I didn't know what to do. And confused. I was still scared beyond belief. They had sharp spears and swords, and bows. Was this a reenactment? Or were they hardcore drug dealers? Or thugs? I felt endangered, either way.

"Speak!" the man yelled.

Then the fear, panic, exhaustion, adrenaline, and everything else all came crashing down on me. And I fainted. Yes. I fainted.

I woke up with a bunch of faces around me. The first face I saw was a kind, but wary looking man staring down at me with a hint of worry. Well, actually, the first thing I saw was an old woman with paper-like skin. But hey, she was kind of in the background.

"Where am I?" Was the first thing I said.

"You are in the house of Meduseld. The healing halls of Meduseld," the man spoke.

"Meduseld?" I repeated.

The man looked at me like I was a complete idiot. "Surely you know what Meduseld is," he said incredulously.

"No?" I said, not having a clue.

The man's expression completely changed from one of incredulity to one of disbelief. "Where do you hail from, milady?"

Milady? Okay... "Umm, I guess you could say Dublin, Ireland. But I live in Canada.

Now it was the man's turn to be completely confused.

"And what is your name?" he asked, seeming to have given up on trying to understand the strange woman lying down in front of him.

"Ashley," I said. One question I knew I could get right.

The man still looked a bit weirder out though. "Ashley..." he repeated. "A strange name..." he muttered. "So, I take it you are not from these parts?"

Heck no. Well, I guess. I don't know! I'm confused. One second I was in my room, hanging from my sit-up bar, then I was just put into some weird-ass field, had an encounter with weird things, passed out, then I was brought here. Hey! "What's your name?" I asked the man.

"I am known as Theodred," he said.

What kind of name is Theodred?

"That's a strange name," I said, which earned me a strange look from Theodred.

"Obviously, you are not from here," he said. "And you seem slightly distressed. We must gave you brought to the king and explain what has befallen you."

King?

"No, Theodred," a second face emerged behind Theodred. "She is obviously still in distress, perhaps she should just speak to us first, before we put her in more distress."

Hmm. That was considerate. I liked this guy already. I craned my neck to see the new speaker. It was a handsome, blonde man. He looked to be in his thirties. He was suited in armor. Lookin' fresh. Seriously, where was I? My money was on the whole reenactment thing.

"What's your name?" I asked the other man.

"Bror, milady," he said respectfully.

"Hi, Bror," I said. I was overwhelmed with confusion at the moment, but hey, I'll go with it for now, I suppose.

"So, would you mind telling us what exactly happened to you before we arrived?" Theodred asked me.

Should I tell the truth? Or just make something up? Well, the muggles always say, Truth will out. Hey, I'm a muggle too.

"Well...I just got here somehow. I was just in my room, in Canada, then suddenly I fell on my head and I found myself in some field. Then I saw these creatures, and ran away. I was scared, you see. Then you all came to the scene."

Theodred and Bror pondered my poorly explained story quietly amongst each other. So I went into my own thoughts.

After a few minutes of waiting and thinking, a sudden thought came to my head. "ORCS! That's what they were! D'oh!" I exclaimed. The two men looked up at me with strange looks directed at me. Why hadn't it come to me earlier?

Wait. So did that mean I was in Middle-earth? Well, with the leaf brooch and all, it kind of made sense. Wait, wtf? No, it didn't make sense. I needed air.

"Be right back, I need air to think!" I told them and got up. But a lightheadedness took me and I fell to the floor, hitting my head, yet again. All went black for me then, with cries of "Milady!" going on before I passed out. Yet again.


	3. Chapter 3 - New Friends?

Chapter 3 - New Friends?

I woke up, on a soft, slightly creaky bed. It took me a while to remember where I was, but once I did remember, I felt like fainting again. Call me pathetic, but hey, you're not the one who randomly got put into Middle-earth. And got chased by Orcs.

This time, I got up carefully, so I wouldn't risk fainting again. Yeah, that'd be unpleasant, and honestly, kind of repetitive.

I looked around the room, and saw that no one was there. No Theodred. Or Bror. I considered looking for them, but a thought came to me. I needed a story. I'm sure if I told them that I just woke up in Middle-earth after hitting my head, that story wouldn't fly.

Hmmm. What could I say though? I could say that I didn't remember anything, because I hit my head too hard? No, that sucked. Or I just decided to go traveling from my home, which is miles away from this place? And I happened to come across some Orcs. That didn't sound half bad, actually. Of course, I'd need some touching up on my little backstory. But just when I started thinking more in-depth, to my dismay, the door opened.

"Ah, I see you've awoken!" Theodred said in a pleasant voice.

"Again," Bror added from beside Theodred, with a small smirk.

"Hey, you don't know what it's like to be chased by Orcs, and to be-" I cut myself short then. "To be in an unfamiliar place, such as this," I finished.

Bror smirked even more at this. Hey, what if this guy was a dick? But, no...he was the one that said I shouldn't see the king because I would be too stressed out. Oh right, the king. Oh god. What has happened to me?

My comment about being in an unfamiliar place seemed to trigger something for Theodred. "Where are you from, milady, if I may ask? From what you are wearing, Bror and I had already gathered that you are from someplace else. What brings you here?"

Ah, yes. That, I was kind of prepared for. In my most confident voice, I said, "See, I decided to go traveling from my home, and I happened to come here. Then, I got chased by Orcs, so I ran away and you two found me."

The two men both gave me strange looks, like they were examining me. I felt kind of uneasy, and I felt like squirming. Finally, Theodred broke the silence. "And where are you from?"

I opened my mouth to speak, then realized that I didn't have the answer. All that came out of my mouth was an awkward, "Oh." I guess I actually wasn't prepared at all.

Theodred looked really suspicious now.

Quick, quick, think! Where was a place that Brett had always talked about? Where was this stuff when I needed it? I needed a name, any name, quick. Oh! "Caradhras," I said finally. Where was that even? I didn't remember... Why is Brett not here?

Bror's brow wrinkled. "I do believe Caradhras is a mountain, milady."

My face reddened and my heart rate sped up. Oh god, I'm screwed now.

"Milady," Bror began. Then he corrected himself. "Or perhaps I should call you Lady of the Mountain?" A playful glint jumped into his eyes.

This guy was gonna be the death of me. Funny, yes, but not to me, not in this situation at least.

Theodred resisted a smile and went back to business. "So, you are from Caradhras?"

"Ummm, well no, that was a joke," I said awkwardly and tried to make them laugh. "I, um, I'm from...um...Alagaesia?" Oh, no, wrong book! That was Eragon! "No, I mean-" I stuttered. "Yes, I'm from Alagaesia." Hey, maybe they'd take it.

Bror looked rather amused, and Theodred looked suspicious. "Where are you really from?"

I'm dead.

"I don't think you'll believe it, if I do tell you the truth, sir."

Theodred's brow furrowed more. "I'm afraid I do not understand..."

Welp, here goes. I'm dead anyway. "I'm from a different world?"

Theodred and Bror about dropped their jaws. Yeah. Well, now. Open the gates in Heaven.

"So...explain to me once more. You think you are from a different world? Or you were brought here ahead from time?" Bror asked.

"See, I don't even know what's going on. I don't know anything," I said.

"So, you just fell from your little bar and you landed here?" Theodred questioned.

"Yes, sir."

"And in your time, there are books written about Middle-earth?"

"Yes, I've never read them though."

"And you come from another time, possibly another world? Your clothes do seem different." Bror commented.

"So you just came here, and you know not how?" Theodred asked curiously, but also suspiciously.

"Yeeees, how many times have we gone over this? I don't know much more than you do, to be honest. I'm confused too!" I was getting exasperated and I had just gotten over my initial panic and disbelief only a while ago.

Theodred and Bror thought for a moment. Then Theodred said, "We will explain the situation to the king before you go to meet him.

Oh right, they have a king.

Bror seemed to see my panicked expression and said, "Do not fear; he is kind and understanding. Just tell the truth, and you will be fine."

"Okay," was all I could think of to say.

Bror gave me a warm, comforting, smile and chuckled, "Do not worry, we will both be there, if that would help?"

This guy was actually so nice! Just seemed to have a lot of snide remarks. Almost like those sarcastic guys at school...

"That would be a huge help," I replied.

"A different time?" King Theoden rubbed his chin and looked at me with judging blue eyes. He looked kind, but at the moment his gaze was nerve-racking.

"Well, sir...I don't know for sure. What happened was, I was just exercising in my room, from my own world or time, and I fell onto my head. See, a sudden noise took me by surprise, and I fell from my hanging position. So, that resulted in me fainting. Ad when I woke up, I just woke up here. To be more precise, I was in a field with long grass. And then I ran into Orcs, so I ran for my life. I was just scared. I was confused too. I still don't know fully the how's or why's or wheres or whats, I don't know anything."

I had told my story to Theoden, and he seemed quite confused. Very suspicious though.

"Would you mind exiting the room for a few brief moments?" Bror asked me.

"Oh, of course." I left the room and tried not to eavesdrop. It worked. The door was too thick to eavesdrop, anyway.

What if they were gonna banish me? Because my story was so messed up and it really made no sense. Heck, it made no sense to me, how could it make sense to them? And what was this? Some sort of weird random time travel? I was pretty sure that kind of thing didn't happen in the 'real world'. Then another thought came to me.

What if I was stuck here and missed my race? It was only months away, and if there was any way for me to get out, I only had a few months to figure it out. And I couldn't just nor train either, so really, what was I to do here? The people probably don't like me much yet, so I kind of need to win over their trust. I do need a place to stay while I train and find out how to get home... Man, I am screwed.

But if this was actually Middle-earth, it was kind of cool. But, I was no Brett. Honestly, Brett would have appreciated it fully. It was cool, and completely unrealistic, and I wanted to get back home. But it was really nice, in a way. Ugh. How do I not even know how I feel about this? Obviously I wanted to get home, but this was kind of cool. I would probably get tired of this place eventually, but hey, this was like a once in a lifetime thing. Like something that would only happen in a movie. Ah, well. Maybe I'd appreciate it. Brett would be sorely disappointed in me if I had just passed up the opportunity to enjoy Middle-earth and its wonderfulness. Heck, what have I to lose here? Plus, these people seem pretty nice.

But another thought stopped me. My big day. My race. I couldn't miss it. And if I did somehow make it back just in time, I don't know how ready I'd be. Without my coach, I didn't know how good my training would be. Not that I depended on my coach, but he was like my rock. Well, that's what coaches are for, aren't they?

Argh. Well, my plan for now: enjoy the Lord of the Rings life while training for my race. And hope that I can somehow get back in time for my race. That sounded fine, but what if I never did find a way back to my time or world?

I felt like freaking out. See, I'm not one who can just watch my life's dream slip by me.

Wow.

I am actually such a wreck right now.

But what can I do? No one here seems to know how to get me back to my time or world so I'm just gonna have to live here, and hope for the best, whatever that may be.

A voice took me out of my thoughts. "Miss Ashley?" Bror. "You may come in again."

"So...what have you guys all been saying to each other?" I asked nervously.

Gulp.

"Theoden King, after some debate and conversation, has decided to let you stay here," Bror said. Phew! I let out a breath of relief. Bror continued, "He has decided that you should work as well."

"Okay, that makes sense." I had been expecting something like that; I knew I'd have to pull my weight anywhere. "Oh, did he say what job I'd have to hold?"

"Ah, yes... He did," said Bror with a look of slight disgust, with a trace of amusement, which he seemed to have attempted to hide, unsuccessfully.

"Why-what do you mean by that look on your face? Is it something terrible?" I asked, now worried.

"Milady, I hope you do not mind cleaning out the stables...you do know what the stables are always plentiful in..." Bror said.

Oh. Crap. Literally.

"Oh..."

Apparently the look in my face was hilarious, because Bror burst out laughing.

Part of me wanted to just laugh it off with him, but another part of me wanted to punch him, not so it'd hurt, just to let him know that I was annoyed that he was laughing at my pain. And the other part of me just felt like I should be okay with this, because I wasn't being banished or punished or treated badly. I ended up just looking kind of depressed but I wasn't complaining.

Bror laughed even harder and said, "It was a joke, milady! You do not have to work at the stables, it has been decided that you can choose whatever job you like."

Seriously?

He only laughed harder at the look on my face.

"Bror, you are going to be a pain in the butt."

"I do think you could have phrased it more eloquently, but I must agree with you, Miss Ashley."

"I woulda said some unfriendly words if I want so grateful!" I said, already liking this guy. Well, I could see he was just going to be one of those friends that would never stop pissing you off.

"I am the one who talked the King out of making you work as a seamstress. You do not strike me as a seamstress..."

"Oh, that just adds more to the list of things I need to thank Bror for..."

"I will make sure to be a pain in the behind, as you say, just for your sake, milady."

Oh, I was in for a fun time.

Review, please!


	4. Chapter 4 - The Hangover

Chapter 4 - The Hangover

I woke up the next morning, in my new room at the inn I was to rent for the time being. Theodred was giving me some money to start me off, kind man he was, until I could make my own money and pay my own rent.

Oh! Speaking of my new job, it wasn't anything like the job at the stables that Bror joked about. Nope, I wouldn't have to sit around all day smelling poop. Quite the opposite, actually. I'd be assisting the cooks. I was a fine cook, but I don't think the people trusted me enough yet to let me actually make any of the meals by myself. Fearing I'd poison them, I guess. But the pay was decent. Enough to get me by.

First day of work! I was excited, to be honest. I put on the new clothes that Theodred had ordered for me. That man is just so nice! I kept my athletic wear in my room, though. The stuff that I came in, that is. Also, I had luckily brought along some other clothes apparently. The ones I had put into my gym bag before falling. Well, important thing was, I had athletic wear. I needed that for training, which I'd do in my free time. When I was sure I looked presentable, I made my way up to Meduseld. I was to work at the kitchens there.

Somewhat awkwardly, I walked in. "Helloo?" A short, middle-aged man with a pale face and blonde hair and sideburns, looked up at my arrival. Seriously, everyone was blonde. My reddish hair stuck out with these peeps.

"Ah, yes, the new cook! I was told of your arrival, and I have gotten everything all prepared for you. I left your new apron and tools somewhere. Oh, where did I leave them? Oh, no matter. We can get introduced. You and the kitten staff, that is. Which includes me. I'm the kitchen leader. That is, if you didn't already know. I do look like one, don't I?" Then he started chuckling heartily. Oh my, this guy talked a lot. Seemed very friendly though.

After his laughter attack, the man said, "I am Hadared. The folks here like to call me Half-Pint. As you can see, I'm not the tallest of them all..."

"Nice to meet you, Half-Pint! I'm Ashley!" I said energetically, shaking his hand just as enthusiastically. "I think we're gonna get along perfectly!"

And so my day went by as I got to know the cooks and kitchen leaders, and they gave me a full-on kitchen orientation. I liked these people already. They were all friendly and easy-going. Half-Pint was, in Earthly standards, the coolest manager anyone could ask for. It was obvious that he was strict when he had to be, but he was always quick to laugh and crack jokes when the chance came.

So, all in all, I had a great day. The only thing that bothered me was the lack of training that I had. And now it was too dark and sketchy and late to run at all. Oh well, there was always tomorrow.

Just as I was heading back to the inn, a hand grabbed my shoulder. "Where do you think you are going?"

"BROR! I THOUGHT YOU WERE SOME SKETCHY OLD DRUNKARD FOR A SECOND!" I yelled. "Good evening, though," I added.

"Oh, dear Ashley, how is it a good evening when you have not even been introduced to one of the best parts of the town?"

"Best part of town? What would that be? Surely not the stables with the horse poop?" I said warily.

Bror laughed and said, "Oh ho! No, of course not! Come!"

"Where are you taking me, Bror?" I asked, growing a little warily, even after he said he wasn't taking me to the stables.

"Oh, just trust me, Ashley. You'll love it." He held out his arm for me to take. Yeah, manly tradition here. Nice one, too. I took it, deciding to trust the guy. Hey, he IS besties with Theodred, so he could be counted as trustworthy.

We walked in the dark for a little while, and it was getting quite sketchy, so I said, "Hey, Bror? Are we ever gonna get there? It's getting dark..."

"Ah! Here we are!"

I should have known. Sigh. Men... Where else would they take me if not a bar?

"Oh, Bror, I shoulda known."

"Well, come on in! I have friends you must meet!"

I did want to have some fun, and I had always wanted to party more... But I didn't like this... Oh, maybe it wouldn't be too bad. "Okay, lead on, Bror."

Without hesitation, Bror led me into the bar.

There were actually less sketchy men than I thought there would be! None, actually! I was quite glad.

"Ah!" Bror found his friend and went over to him, leading me with him. He led me to a group of men, of which Theodred was part of. Okay, so I wasn't completely doomed. There was something about Theodred that made me trust him.

"Oh, Ashley! What a pleasant surprise! How are you this fine evening?" Theodred asked, a little too happily and loudly.

"Oh lordy, these guys are getting rowdy..."

"Oh, worry not, milady. We do this every night and we are fine!" A man beside him said.

"Right! Introductions must be made! Miss Ashley, may I introduce to you, Lord Eomer, the next heir to Rohan's throne. Prince Eomer, I should say!" Bror declared.

Oh my, I was getting to meet so many high-ranking people. And I had friends like that too! Yay!

"Hello, Eomer, pleasure to meet you, I'm Ashley." Dang, he was attractive. And young. Jeez, were there any more princes here? Oh, gosh, now I was feeling my palms getting clammy and all... And my cheeks reddening. See, cute guys have pretty big effects on me, unfortunately.

"Pleasure it is, milady," Eomer said, kissing my hand, like all the gentlemen do here. "Oh, Theodred, why did you not give me a good description of her beauty before? Perhaps I should not have said that out loud..." Eomer laughed when I blushed more.

"She's reddening! But, do not worry, Eomer is known for his good looks!" Bror said, laughing heartily. "A mug of ale here, please!" he added to the bartender. Then he saw me. "Make that two! One for my friend here!"

Oh no. I didn't want to get drunk. No no, that wouldn't be quite a great idea. I'd wake up not remembering squat.

"Oh no, I am done here! Bye-bye! Good night, it was a pleasure meeting you. But sadly, I must go now. Good night!" I made for the door, hearing cries of, "Oh, no, but the party has just begun!" behind me. But no, I was not going to get wasted here. Not yet, at least.

"Oh, don't leave yet!" Some man said. Haha, too bad for those suckers, I was leaving. Until it happened.

"Oh, she is too afraid to stay and drink!" Eomer yelled just loud enough for me to hear. That stopped me short.

"What did you say, Eomer?" I asked, faking a dangerous look. Obviously I wasn't really truly offended, but I didn't want them all to think I was a wimp. My reputation had always been a big deal for me. Yeah, I was pretty cool back in my day. Forward in my day?

The table went quiet. Some people still talked, but Eomer, Theodred, and Bror went quiet.

I walked back over to their table and said, "I'll show you how it's done!" Then I took that swig of ale that Bror had gotten me. It wasn't bad, really. But I wasn't much of a drinker. Oh boy, how would this go? But the drink did taste quite good. I said, "This isn't bad. Could I have another?"

"You heard her! Another!" Bror said, giddy. He sounded like a proud uncle. Proud after teaching his favorite nephew how to drink like a real man. Oh, this could turn out quite badly. But what possibly could happen? People back home always got drunk. And the drink was pretty good.

Theodred asked, "You don't plan on getting drunk, do you?" I replied, "Nahhhhh. Just a few drinks." I took a big swig of the huge beer mug that Bror handed me. Then I think I got a little too addicted. I kept asking for more and more, and I used up the money I had earned today, all on drinks. And my "friends" just watched me get drunk, having a few beers themselves. I am so sociable when I'm drunk, you don't even know.

"Perhaps she's had enough..." Bror said.

But Eomer disagreed. "Let her have some more! A little beer can't do her harm! Everyone has to let loose at the end of the day!"

I probably had about 5 mugfuls of beer before I stopped drinking for a moment. "Hey, guys, remind me...remind me to go for a run first thing next morning," I slurred.

"I do not think you will be in good shape...even if you did stop drinking now," Theodred said, looking quite worried.

I stopped for a moment. "Oh... Well, promise me you will wake me up for a run. First thing!"

"I think it is time you went back to your room. A good night's sleep should do you good," Bror said.

"What's the harm in drinking if I'm already not gonna be in good enough shape to run?" I took another swig of ale. Or tried to, at least. Theodred gently took away the mug of ale from my hand while Bror lent me his arm so I could walk, somewhat.

"Hey, guys, what's the rush? I was having so much fun!" Then I tripped, and passed out. Last thing I heard was, "Oh, catch her head!" And I don't even remember if my head hit the ground or not; I was out before that even happened.

* * *

Oh, my head. My poor, pounding, probably-bruised head.

I wanna cry. My head hurts so much. I dot wanna open my eyes. If I do, I think I'll actually cry.

A knock on the door got me to open my eyes. Terrible mistake. My eyes were instantly blinded by the sun. Why, oh why hadn't I drawn the blinds in?

The knocking continued. "Please, for the love of Loki, just stop knocking!" My head was pounding too hard. I buried my head under my covers. That was better. Well, my head still hurt. How could I stop it? Jeez.

The person outside my room said, "Alright, I'll go tell Bror I could not wake you." I didn't know that voice. It was a woman's voice, and I had never heard it before.

"K," I replied. Why did Bror want me to be up at this hour? Wait, what time was it even? Ugh, I didn't know.

I heard footsteps coming up to my room.

More knocking on my door. Then, "Rise and shine!" Bror's too cheerful voice yelled at me.

"I'm sleeping!" I yelled back.

"Not anymore, you're not!"

"Why? I'm sleeping!" I shot back.

"Oh, we've all been there, it's not a good feeling," he said semi-sympathetically.

"Well, you know how it feels, so leave me alone please," I said. Who cares if I'm being rude? My head is pounding.

"Well, you said you were going to go for a run..." Bror said. "You asked us to remind you, remember?"

I did remember. "Well, when this massive hangover disappears."

"I suppose you are not a lady of your word, then," he sighed and I heard him walk away. "Oh, what a weakling," he said, as he walked away.

That guy just drove me insane. Ugh. Ah well, who cares? More sleep. Wait. He was going to tell stories about me. Probably ones I wouldn't like. Ugh. Wow, I should probably expect something like this from my best friend here.

That thought shot me out of bed. I yelled, "I'll show you, Bror!" Then, I ran half-drunkenly down the stairs, ran past Bror, who had an amused and surprised look on his face, and ran to the field, and attempted to do some sprints. Attempted being the key word here.

My head was aching. Every drunken step I took, my head ached more and more.

Bror, Theodred, and Eomer were by now watching by the sidelines, looking at me like I was crazy. "Hey Bror, am I still a weakling?!"

Then I kept running. But my head kept spinning, until I couldn't take it anymore. I buckled to my knees and curled up on the ground. Oh, no, what would they think of me now? Argh.

This was a bad idea, this was a bad idea, I kept telling myself. Then I did what I've been doing nonstop ever since I got here: I fainted.

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	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 - The FamJam

A/N: IMPORTANT!

Hey readers! So! I was thinking, I have some AMAZING ideas for this story but I can only choose one. So I was wondering, would any of you like to help me choose which way I'm gonna go about this? Not like a beta, but just as an...idea-sharing buddy? Just review or message me to let me know.

Chapter 5.

Why did I do that? My head felt better now, but a several hours ago, it had hurt so much. I had a head-splitting headache, all because I decided to drink more than I should. Ugh, I know I'm only 19, but this is so bad of me. Oh, also, if my behavior earlier was strangely confusing, what happened was: I woke up with a massive hangover, Bror tried to get me to do sprints right when I woke up by provoking me, and last of all, being the amazing decision-maker I was, I went with it. I tried to go for a run. Yeah. And I ended up fainting. God, this is so embarassing!

A knock on the door brought me out of my thoughts and back to what was going on in the real world. "Yes, come on in," I said. Ugh. I was not in the mood for this. I buried my face in my bed covers.

"Yes, go ahead, make fun of me. I was stupid," I said.

"Actually, we came to see if you were all right. Bror and Theodred feel terrible," a female voice said.

That wasn't Bror or Theodred. Not even Eomer. I looked up. It was a blonde (who isn't blonde here?) lady, who looked to be about my age or younger, and a blonde man with slightly red hair.

"Oh right, we have not been introduced. I am Eowyn, Eomer's sister. And this is Perenniath." The man next to her bowed. He looked to be about the same age as Eowyn. Eowyn continued, "I saw you running down the stairs earlier today. I've heard the story," she said with a playful glint in her eye.

"Oh, he didn't tell me he had a sister... Oh maybe he did, actually... I think I was too drunk to hear and remember..." Then I remembered that Eowyn and I Perenniath were still there. Somewhat awkwardly I said, "Oh, right. My name is Ashley. I'm pleased to meet you," I went to shake their hands, but I don't think anyone does that here.

Before I had to say anything, Eowyn spoke again. "So I have heard your full story, and I take it women in your time are much different from the women here? I mean, no one here really gets drunk, then goes for a run the next morning! I saw you run down the stairs, as I said before, and I could not help but laugh," she laughed.

"Oh, guys, I am actually so embarrassed right now... I don't usually get drunk like this...I promise you, it's just this once. I have never gotten drunk like that before."

Eowyn seemed rather interested in all this. So did Perenniath. "Oh dear, and you work in the kitchens now," he sighed jokingly. But Eowyn just laughed at me. "I have a feeling we will get along!"

Hey! New friends! I guess embarrassing oneself wasn't so bad after all. I made a new friend, just by doing that! Or two, maybe?

"Yeah me too! Are you two friends with Bror?"

Just as she was about to say something in response, Bror strode in. Oh, speak of the devil.

"Oh, it's Bror. My 'friend'", I said coldly. Well, fake coldly. But still, he did provoke me...

"How's the headache, lassie? Got some rest?" Bror asked cheerily. I gave him a glare. He gave me a huge smile.

"Bror, have I ever told you that you're just such a pain?" I asked.

"In the behind, yes," Bror answered. "But who made you run in that state? No one forced you, now, did they?"

"Wipe that smug little expression off your face, Bror," I said.

"Oh, I believe it is permanent..." Bror said, scratching his chin.

"How are we friends?"

"You tell me, Ashley, you tell me."

My new friends (maybe) seemed rather amused by this, by the way.

***  
My morning and afternoon sucked, but hey, the rest of my day rocked. I got to cook a bit. I was still an assistant obviously, but the cooks seemed to trust me fine. So they let me cook by myself a bit. I mean, they thought I was a bit of a derp, but hey, they still trusted me. Half-Pint was super cool too.

As the weeks went by, I began to love Rohan quite a lot. It was like a second home. I did want to go home, obviously, but the less I thought about it, the more I loved life. I was actually happy here. A life full of stress and trying to please my parents had no fun included in it, so life in Rohan was a nice change of pace. And the people were so damn likable. And it really reminded me of Ireland. I'd been to Ireland once, when I was 14, and it was a lot like Rohan. Lots of friendly people who loved to drink. Speaking of drinking, I hadn't done it again. Not after the first incident. Theodred and Eomer had done a good job keeping me away from it. not that I needed much persuasion. Good men, those two. Eowyn was a delight as well. She taught me how to use a sword (I didn't really show any skill) and I trained her to run long distances. She wasn't great at it, but hey, no one can be as good as me. Yeah, I'm cocky. That's me.

Also, I grew closer to my coworkers, the people who worked in the kitchen. Perenniath and Half-Pint were probably my best friends from the kitchens. We'd usually bake pastries for the royalty and the nobles together. Well, Perenniath and I did. Half-Pint was a supervisor, so he couldn't really cook with us much.

Oh, and the best part was that Bror was part of the nobles, and that meant we could put funny stuff in his food. Nothing bad, just things like gum (yeah, I had some extra) and mushrooms (he hated them because they were too squishy). But he was fine with it, more or less.

Speaking of Bror, he and I had become very good friends. Almost like partners in crime. We were also quite similar, almost like siblings, except for the age gap. He was about a good 15 years older than me. But still, we were partners in crime. We just messed around with the nobles we thought were too grouchy and well, mean. But we didn't go overboard, though. You'd think a nobleman like him would be more...well...serious, but, no, he didn't like being serious.

It was a nice evening, and I had just finished work and was about to head home. Then Bror, out of nowhere, came and said, "I'm heading home."

"Okay? Go home, then. I don't see what's stopping you."

"Do you even know where I live?" he asked.

"No... OH, I HAVE TO MEET YOUR FAMILY! I CAN'T BELIEVE I'VE KNOWN YOU FOR SO LONG AND HAVEN'T MET YOUR FAMILY YET!" I yelled, kind of mad at myself for not even bothering to meet his family. Yeah, I'd been in Rohan for about eight weeks now. "Well, can I meet your family, Bror? It'd be a pleasure for sure."

"I thought you'd never ask," Bror said. Then we walked over to his house. A nice, big house with two stories. See, these people live in one story buildings mostly. Just the nobles had bigger houses.

"Nice house," I complimented. "I've always wanted to live in a nice house. After I get my gold medal, I think I can afford to buy a nice, our story house, yes? Then I could have a nice balcony that overlooks the mountains or the sea... I think I'll live in Ireland-"

"Are you here to meet my family or to get off-topic?" I tend to get off-topic a lot. If I don't speak what I'm thinking I feel like I'm gonna lose it all. Kind of like those conductors that feel the need to write down every single thing that goes on through their minds or they'll just forget everything and get mad for not writing down everything, because they could have used their ideas for later had they not forgotten. Oh boy, off-topic again. Oh, dear.

"Sorry, Bror, let's go meet your family." I gave him a cheeky smile.

"Alright, come on in."

There was a really excited look in his eye. It was so cute! Nothing was cuter than a dad who loved his children and wife. And I think he was just so proud of his family that he was excited to introduce me to them. I was giddy, too, actually.

Bror opened the door and led me in. As soon as he did, two young children came bouncing up to their daddy. It was adorable. With cries of "Papa!" they tried to tackle their father. They looked just like him; nose, hair, eyes. Their eyes crinkled when they smiled, just like Bror's did.

"Ah, how was your day, little one?" he asked the smaller one, while stroking his little baby chin.

"I was playing warrior! I might be as strong as you one day!"

"Oh, I'm sure you will, Eovin," he pat his head. "This here is Eovin," Bror said to me.

"Hey there, bud, I'm Ashley!" I said cheerfully.

"How old are you, Ashley?" The child asked.

Weird. Usually the older people ask those kind of questions.

The other child, a girl, scolded, "No one asks questions like that, Eovin!"

"Why not? Everyone asks me that, so I thought I'd ask them for once!" Eovin said indignantly. Awwe, that was so cute! Bror and I exchanged looks of awwwwee.

"You remind me of this one," he said.

"Thanks!" I said.

"Yes, he is young and has a strange way of thinking."

"Oh, but you love me too."

"So how old are you?" Eovin asked.

"I'm 19, what about you?"

The child answered proudly, "I'm 3!"

"Oh? Being three was nice. It was a good year for me, as I'm sure it will be for you."

"I like her, Papa! Where is she from?" he asked.

"Pal, that's a long story, which I might tell you later when there's more time." I told the boy.

The other child said politely, "I'm Breila. Pleasure to meet you. I'm 7."

"Oh jeez, you're polite! Where'd you get that? I'm sure you inherited it from your mother?" I joked. "Oh, and I'm Ashley."

"Oh, even she thinks you're not polite enough!" Breila said triumphantly to Bror. I wanted to laugh out loud, but kept it in.

"Now, now, Breila..." Bror started.

"He burps when we all have dinner together!" The two children yelled.

Bror looked rather uncomfortable. "Well, a man must do what he feels is...right," he said awkwardly.

Awkward part was, I did that too. Quite a lot actually. Me and Brett would do that quite a lot when we had movie and TV marathons. Contests and such. Welp, these kids didn't have to know that.

"Well, your father is a great man, as I am sure you all know very well. But even great men," I stopped here for dramatic effect, "even they must burp."

That sent the kids laughing. That brought another person to the doorway. "Bror, who do we have here?"

"This is Ashley! I'm

"I'm Bror's friend he probably talks about a lot. Pleasure," I said as politely as possible.

A pretty brown-haired woman came out of a door. She smiled warmly and said, "Pleasure to meet you. I am Dweissa."

"Oh, I admire your patience. One can only live so long with Bror," I said in a serious tone.

Dweissa laughed at this, and said, "How refreshing! No one has ever said that out loud! I have, but it is nice to hear someone else say that! But of course, Bror is the perfect man to stay by my side."

D'awe.

"Bror, you have an amazing family."

"Why thank you, Ashley."

Just then, another person came down the stairs and into view. A girl, just about a few years younger than me. She looked a lot like her mother. When she saw me, she looked a little shy, and stood there awkwardly.

"Bella! This is Ashley! My friend you've heard about," Bror said.

"Oh, nice to meet you!" she said shyly.

"Pleasure! I like your outfit!" I told her.

She looked down at it and said, "Thank you," shyly, with a smile. She was a shy one. Then she looked up at me and said, "Oh! You're the one who got drunk that night!"

"Yes, your father has told you all about my drunken adventure, I presume?"

"Yes, he has," she chuckled.

"You must stay for dinner, tell us your story!" Dweissa exclaimed.

"Well, I really don't want to intrude..."

"Oh no worries," she said quickly.

"Oh, alright then!"

I love meeting new people!

A/N: kinda filler, but it's for character development :P


End file.
